Map of Pods in the United States

I probably should have released a map earlier. Here is a proposed map of the Pods of the United States.

To give some idea of what the boundaries should be like, I want each pod to be theoretically able to host a gathering or convention that everyone in the pod would be able to attend without traveling a lot. Also, I want them to follow logical existing cultural borders. Here is a map, which is overlaid with a map created by a team of researchers at MIT who used cell phone data and SMS data to try to identify boundaries between cultural regions. (For more information. click here: Connected State of America)

Obviously this will still change and evolve. I saw that someone posted a thread called "Pod of Four Corners", which is different that how the southwest is partitioned on here, but its just a starting point. Let me know what you think.


http://oi54.tinypic.com/11spabr.jpg

Is every color a different pod? Does Alaska count as North Pacific? We're looking at 25+ pods just for the US then, right?

Sorry, I can see how that map can be a little confusing. The map is overlaid on top of a different map that shows regions in which people send text messages a lot. I used it as a guide when making the pods, and I wanted to show where a lot of the motivation for where the lines are drawn is coming from. For example, Washington DC is near Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Delaware and Pennsylvania, so its hard to know where to draw the line so that I don't put two closely linked cities into different pods. But using the data collected by this group at MIT, you can see that Washington DC talks more with Virginia than with West Virginia.

Anyway, here is a map of the regions, without all the distracting colors. I'd really like this thread to be a place where I can get feedback on the pods, and on where the lines are drawn. Feel free to weigh in on pods outside the United States too.

Attachment 167

Ah, Okay I get it now :)

According to these borders you've mapped out, you've put South Carolina in the Chesapeake pod... am I looking at it right? I'm right on the border between SC and GA, so does that make me double-podded?

yea i was wondering that cuz im in south carolina as well :confused:

In the current layout, the Pod of the South and the Chesapeake Pod are separated by the boarder between Georgia and South Carolina, So Calliope, you're in the Pod of the South, and jukumerboii, you're in the Chesapeake pod. Do you think I should move the boarder?

Most definitely... South Carolinians are Southerners for sure! You should probably move the border up to either the bottom or top of NC...

I am in Ohio which puts me in the Great Lakes.

What about the Kentucky mers? They do not have a pod?

Cali Pod Baby!

ANNOUNCEMENT EVERYONE: See how it say's "Pod of the South" above my picture, right below where it says Administrator? I've just installed custom usergroups for the pods! To officially join a pod, go to "Settings" and click on "Permission Groups", then select your pod. While you can join multiple pods, please only join a pod if you actually live in that region.



Also, wanted to reply to this:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MermaidCalliope

Most definitely... South Carolinians are Southerners for sure! You should probably move the border up to either the bottom or top of NC...

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The Carolina's are in the south, but if I included them it would make the Pod of the South too big. I think I'm just going to rename the Pod of the South to something more accurate. Any objections to renaming it the Gulf Coast Pod?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MermanJesse

What about the Kentucky mers? They do not have a pod?

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They will most likely have a pod, I just haven't named it yet. Considering that the borders of the pods might change, I figured there was no need to make the Kentucky/Tennessee Pod while we don't have any members from that area right now.

It doesn't make sense to call it the Gulf Coast Pod if Georgia doesn't touch the Gulf Coast .__.

Hmmm will Hawaii eventually have one? I thought there were several of us on here.

Update! The Pod information permanent page (can be found here or by navigating Home > Community > Pods) has been updated! Also the has been a usergroup made for each of the current pods. There are links to the forum subsection and usergroups to each of the pods on the Pod page. Usergroups can also be found by navigating Forum > Community > Groups. If additional usergroups spout up later on you can view pod groups only by selecting "Pods" categories at the bottom of the right hand side bar on the "Groups" page.

A pod for Hawaii has been added (including forum subsection and usergroup).

I posted a Tri State Pod thread for all interested ;) I feel the more specific we get, the closer we can feel as a mer-family! Feel free to post in there if you would belong to the pod or even if you don't ^~^

Any pods in Phoenix? Does anyone even live here? If so, we should all get together and swim around in some kind of lake or river around here. Feedback? Message me if you're interested. :)

and canada? i know raina is from canada and me too!!! im from montreal, quebec

So, that means I am joining the Great Lakes pod, because I live in Michigan?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Syrenia

Any pods in Phoenix? Does anyone even live here? If so, we should all get together and swim around in some kind of lake or river around here. Feedback? Message me if you're interested. :)

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My folks have a place in Sun City, and I go down to the area at least once a year...I'll message you when I'm in town because I'm totes down for a swim!

Phoenix has a man-made lake, right? Do people swim in that?